At Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women, one witnesses a process of metamorphosis. Through their stay and education, women turn into entrepreneurs, interior designers, beauticians and become part of mainstream disciplines.
Located in Malleswaram in Bangalore, flanked by the Indian Institute of Science and Institute of Wood Science and Technology, the college was established in 1972 and was named after Maharani of the Wodeyar dynasty. Starting off with only three students, the college now offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across disciplines.
Impetus to research
The greatest emphasis here is on a culture of research. Anuradha KS, principal of the college, feels that promoting greater research is the only way to improve the existing education system. “We want to introduce a few more courses and a choice-based credit system. An online system of examination will also help students who work or manage homes,” she says, while adding that the college will soon get a status of autonomy.
Engaging entrepreneurs
The sole motive of the institute is empowerment of women and minimising the gap between higher education and industry requirements. Regular students as well as housewives enroll themselves with the aim of making it big. “We also have students with disabilities integrated into the same classrooms with regular students. Visually impaired students take exams with the help of scribes,” says the college director, TL Shantha.
However, the focus is not just on academics. Students who undergo training in entrepreneurship development also get a chance to showcase their work and benefit from it. “Women entrepreneurs are trained in small-scale production after which they display these products at the half-yearly in-house sale held in the campus,” she says.
Courses offered
Programmes on offer at the college include pre-university with science, arts and commerce branches. As part of the undergraduate programmes are BCom, BBA and BCA. A total of eight science and five arts courses are available. Recently, the college also introduced a new combination of psychology, botany and zoology at the undergraduate level. Postgraduate programmes include four master’s programmes — biotechnology, biochemistry, Kannada and accounting and taxation/marketing.
With its self-financed courses in interior designing and beauticians’ course, several homemakers equip themselves with skills to make better use of their time. Madhu a homemaker who had taken up beautician course, says, “I have completed the six-month diploma and now am confident enough to set up my own parlour.”
“When KVN Shastri, a professor of history, established this college we only had undergraduate courses. Later, we had pre-university as well as postgraduation courses incorporated. Now we have a research centre for biotechnology and laboratories for all science subjects in the campus along with PhD programmes affiliated to Bangalore University,” Shantha says.
Infrastructure
The college is equipped with science laboratories, a bioinformatics lab, computer science lab, English language lab, and a mobile learning lab and research centres to handle enthusiasm among budding researchers as well as future techies.
Potential for excellence
In 2010, University Grants Commission recognised the academic work in the college and conferred the “College with potential for excellence” award. It was also selected as one among the top 12 Biotechnology Finishing Schools in Karnataka, pioneering in the areas of bioinformatics and clinical training programmes.
Not all work
But it is not always about rigorous academics and research. The girls also indulge in a number of fests throughout the year. Tarangini, the annual college fest of the students association is the prime fest. Five other cultural fests, beginning with Janapada- Sankranti Sante, Women’s International Day, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri Gombe habba, dandia and other seasonal festivities are also celebrated with zest.
— durbaduttabhaumik@yahoo.com